A. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to nylon fibers having a soil-resistant coating comprising the reaction product of polymeric zirconium oxide and a hydroxycarboxylic acid or salt thereof.
B. Description of the Prior Art
Fibers coated with a soil-resistant coating of polymeric zirconium oxide are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,592,684. The coated fibers are obtained by treating fibers with an aqueous solution of a water-soluble salt of zirconium or hydrous zirconia and, then, drying the fibers to remove the water and leave a coating of polymeric zirconium oxide, (ZrO.sub.2).sub.n, adhered to the fiber surface; one or more of the oxygen atoms of the polymeric zirconium oxide may be replaced by a OH.sup.+ radical. The polymeric zirconium oxide coating imparts soil resistant properties to the fibers and fabrics, such as carpeting, made from the fibers. Unfortunately, the adherence of the coating to the fiber surface is relatively weak. Consequently, when the coated fibers are used for carpet pile, significant amounts of the coating are removed from the fiber surface during normal carpet dyeing operations and also during normal wear and cleaning of the carpet.